Horror on the Hogwarts Express
by HippoParty
Summary: There have been many rumours about what happened on the 1st September 2019. Now on the unexpected death of her father, Violet Potter would finally come to learn the truth of how her siblings, James, Albus and Lily perished on the Hogwarts Express.


_Based on a writing prompt by SilverCookieDust - The Hogwarts Express pulls into Hogsmeade Station on 1 Sept, but everyone on it is dead._

* * *

My part in the story began late in the Summer of 2122 with the unexpected death of my father, former Head of the Department of Magical Law but perhaps more notably known as the Boy Who Lived.

Of course, I am well versed in my fathers story and as a child I often craved to hear about the fantastical adventures my parents experienced. Albeit my parents were relieved that I did not share their knack for finding trouble, in that respect I was more like my Aunt despite not being related by blood. So I had spent my years with my nose pressed firmly in books, so that even when I attended Hogwarts, a place where the impossible could happen, I managed to achieve seven uneventful years.

If I'd have known however, that the most horrific adventure of my own would be with be through the written word, perhaps I'd have spent more time battling dragons and racing through the skies on broomsticks.

For what I uncovered, through many hours of assisting my fathers only other living heir, Teddy Lupin in clearing out the expanse of items that my parents had accumulated over their years, was something that would haunt me for my remaining years.

And I'm sure it had been the same for my father, for this inconspicuous cardboard box hidden up in my parents attic, contained the truth of the one story he refused to speak on.

Perhaps, I should have heeded Teddy's warning, even though I'm unsure whether he knew the full extent of the lies and deception. Even so, I found myself delving in to satisfy my own curiosity.  
Naturally, there have been many whispers over the years about what actually transpired on the 1st of September 2019, but these are merely theories derived to try and make sense of the strange happenings that occurred on the Hogwarts Express on that fateful day.

And I would admit that I was one of them. Throughout my childhood and for an unhealthy part of my adulthood I tried to make sense of what happened to my three siblings who perished in the attack.

Needless to say, it is no secret that even my birth was unwelcome, my parents had vowed never to risk the pain of a child's death again, and I caused them unnecessary trauma through my insensitive and constant questions despite their infrequent and brief answers. This was a common theme even decades after the incident, and the lack of conversation infuriated me as I believed my siblings had been forgotten as the Wizarding world moved on.

But now on the death of my beloved father, on the eve of my own grandchildren starting Hogwarts, although students have not used the Hogwarts Express since that day, I would finally come to know the truth of events.

The top layers remained innocence enough and I initially was surprised that my father had kept any memory of the event, or that most of the contents were plastered with CONFIDENTIAL – NOT TO REMOVED FROM THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC.

Although I had come across the top article before, I still found myself re-reading it in a twisted sense of nostalgia.

_HOGWARTS EXPRESS ATTACK: ALL DEAD IN HORRIFIC MONSTER ATTACK_

_The Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, confirmed that all 471 students perished in what appears to be a magical beast attack while travelling on the Hogwarts Express late last night._

_'It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce this absolute tragedy of the loss of so many children. The matter is of the most distressing and I wish to express my deepest condolences to all those families affected.'_

_'The foundations of our society have been shaken, unbearable so, and I will exhaust every resource available within the Ministry to ensure that this matter is resolved as swiftly as possible.'_

_It is said that the Hogwarts Express arrived on schedule with no prior trouble reported on the line._  
_The Auror Department confirmed that they had found bodies scattered throughout the train, and it appears that the whole incident concluded in a matter of minutes._

_'I can offer little consolation in the fact that there appeared to be no pain and that the occupants of the train possibly had no awareness at all of the event,' said Minister Shacklebolt. 'Of course we are reviewing all of our protections to see if any had been compromised.'_

_The attack is suspected to be the worst on any magical community since the Dark Wizard Grindelwald caused terror across Europe in 1939._

_The Auror's found no evidence of a witch or wizards presence, however, this does not rule out the possibility that someone released this beast upon the train. There were no confirmed eyewitnesses._

_Mathilda Grimblehawk, Investigator for the Beast Division of the Ministry of Magic was one of the first experts called to the scene. Although, she refused to comment, her presence only confirms the Ministry's ongoing line of enquiry. It is rumoured that the Aurors are hunting the beast along the entire train line to determine the exact time and location of the deaths._

_Mr Potter, who is less than sixth months into his new role as Head of the Department of Magical Law, lost his three children in the attack. In an unprecedented event, Mr Potter was not present at the Minister's address which broke the news of this catastrophe._

_'Mr Potter has imperative commitments beyond his attendance today,' Minister Shacklebolt explained. 'Although, I will say that out of our 51 Ministry employee's whose children passed in the attack, Mr Potter is not in a position which enables him to ignore his duties and spend time with his loved ones in this terrible time.'_

_Headmistress Professor McGonagall confirmed that the school governors met late last night to agree the indefinite closure of Hogwarts, something that has only occurred four times in any magical schools history._

_Parents who received the news late last night, have reacted with profound shock and despair, as Ministry officials personally visited each and every family ahead of the news breaking._

_'My darling, Veronica, she was so excited to finally start Hogwarts, and her younger siblings were so envious. It's distressing that she died while travelling to Hogwarts, a place where she was meant to spend the best years of her life,' said parent Gwendoline Binns._  
_'I will certainly not be sending my youngest to any other school,' said parent Archibald Plumble. If going to Hogwarts isn't safe then I'm not convinced anywhere is.'_  
_Mrs Binns and Mr Pumble's sentiments reflect those of many parents who have expressed their outrage, despair and sadness at the loss of their children._

_A vigil is scheduled Wednesday 4th September at Hogwarts with all welcome to attend._

_Read more about the history of the Hogwarts Express and it's controversial conception by former Minister Ottaline Gambol on page 4._

The paper was filled with hundreds of moving photographs, each one showing a smiling student dressed in their house colours. Among them, were half a dozen adults but what notably drew my eye were the three small children with the title James, Albus and Lily Potter. I had naturally seen photographs of my siblings before, although my parents did not display them openly in the house.

There was an air of sadness as James, Albus and Lily smiled back at me. James and Albus were in their house robes, while Lily's photograph was taken on what looked like her eleventh birthday as she stood proudly in front of a large niffler shaped cake. It reminded me of my own house photo, my classmates, all adorned in yellow and black who were my only reference to siblings.

The next item in the box was possibly the most disturbing of my findings and I could almost envisage that I was there, standing beside my father as the smell and taste of copper overwhelmed my mouth.

At first I did not comprehend what I was seeing as any still photograph is jarring. More so, than the fact that I was looking at a dead body in which I could only just see the glimpses of blue and bronze from a set of Ravenclaw robes. For it was no longer just the outside of the train that was painted scarlet and the pure look of terror etched on the child's face chilled me like nothing imaginable. There was a piece of parchment tucked away behind it.

_ST MUNGO'S HOSPITAL FOR MAGICAL MALADIES AND INJURIES - OFFICE OF UNEXPLAINABLE AND IMPOSSIBLE DEATHS – AUTOPSY REPORT_

_Date: 2nd September 2019_  
_Performed by: Coroner Ursula Bellchant_  
_Experts Consulted: Mathilda Grimblehawk (Beast Division), Monterey Orpington (Spectral Divison)_

_Summary of Autopsy Report_

_Name: Helen Warbeck_  
_Location of Death: Hogsmeade Station, Hogwarts Express, Carriage Number Five_  
_DOB: 3rd November 2006_  
_Date of Death: 1st September 2019_  
_Killed By: Unidentified Beast_  
_Examination: The deep lacerations across the chest and arms are consistent with the other victims in MoM Case ID 6676. The heart was punctured and the blood loss catastrophe. The child died instantly. It is determined that once the wound had been inflicted, death was inevitable. No other underling symptoms contributed to the trauma._  
_Statement of the Deceased (if applicable): The child was unable to form a coherent statement. Although, inconclusive, the broken sentences implied the beast was some form of dark mass of an incomplete form._  
_Expert Opinion: No definitive conclusions drawn._

Of all the newspapers I had scoured over the years, even old Ministry records which had since been deemed acceptable to issue to the public, I have never found any indication of what this simple autopsy report revealed. If I thought that this was the extent of the lies, I was barely on the cusp of the unbearable truth.

No witnesses. That was the one statement that had been repeated again and again by the Ministry. The rumours at the time had been rife, with all sorts of terrors and accusations towards the senior minister officials.

And now I knew undoubtedly that my father had been apart of it. I didn't know what burnt more, this harsh revelation or the very thought that a child had decided to come back, that they would still be out there as a ghost today.

Despite this horrific knowledge, I found myself digging deeper through the papers until I came across a heavy piece of parchment that was folded into quarters. At first I did not understand what I was looking at.

The drawing was crude, and most of the ink had faded so that I had to lean in close to decipher it. But as soon as I started to inspect the individual details, it was abundantly clear what the dozen rectangles represented.

The train was depicted in Hogsmeade station. The station house was one of the few items that had been circled in a now dull red ink, while the rest of the information was overwhelmingly hundreds of little black crosses, each with a name scribed beneath it.

Sure enough Helen Warbeck was in carriage number five with another circle of red around her name. It took merely ten seconds to locate two of my siblings, they were in the same compartment as my cousins. Albus was in the next carriage along, beside another small dot labelled Scorpius Malfoy.

There was no clear indication of panic, for each compartment was left chillingly undisturbed. At least that part of the story seemed to be true, and I was left feeling uncertain in the fact that everyone had perished quickly. If I hadn't seen my hands shaking, I would have denied it. The possibility that something could have travelled uncompromising and without bias while destroying every living thing was beyond my comprehension.

I found myself moving slower through the contents of the cardboard box. I no longer craved uncensored knowledge. Despite offering no further context, the small details made the incident all a little too real. A little too fresh.

My next finding was a written letter, and I was grateful that I did not recognise the hand writing and so I plunged in.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_A rather troubling response from our last correspondence, and from the evidence you enclosed I am confident that the creature is not a Lethifold as hypothesised. Despite the Lethifold's appearance fitting the vague description of the deceased child, the beast is also known as the Living Shroud after all, the Lethifold is solely found in tropical climates and had never been seen on any part of the British Mainland. Further, the Lethifold leaves no trace of its victims behind which would have been a problematic matter in its own right to diagnose._

_I had further discussed the matter in great detail with Mathilda Grimblehawk and have since come to the most harrowing conclusion. I am writing to you directly, because I hope you understand the seriousness and urgency of the issue at hand._

_Throughout my travels, I spent my time investigating the most unusual and wonderful creatures. During one particular visit to North America, I stumbled across a select group of muggles who devoted their time documenting all sorts of mysteries and horrors. Intrigued, I delved deeper into their world, eager to find out what secrets fed their morbid fascination. Often, I discovered that events were explainable by magic and I could sleep easy in my bed at night. But it were those that could not that left me unsettled and questioning the foundations of everything I knew._

_Our magic, we know only as absolute. And I know now how arrogant and ignorant I had been to assume that there is not something else at play in this world. I suppose what I'm trying to convey is that Magical books won't help you and even our magic is limited in its influence._

_One particular encounter chilled me like no other and it bears unnerving similarities to the incident on the Hogwarts Express. I won't go into details here as I've enclosed a series of muggle newspaper cuttings which should give you a broad account of what transpired. Should you decide to investigate this phenomenon, I will be happy to receive you at my home in Dorset this Friday to discuss matters further._

_As you are well aware, I have the utmost respect for all forms of creature, magical or not, and I anguish at the thought that there is no hope, for this beast is what I feared I would never encounter again. One that has no regard, no concept that life in any form means something. And I don't mean that as an equivalent to some magical beasts, a Basilisk for example won't spare a witch or wizard a second thought, what I am trying to convey is that to these, and I use the term 'Monsters' to merely distinguish a difference, are on a different plane of existence. I believe these Monsters are beyond our comprehension and any such encounters should be avoided or minimised where possible._

_Usually I would warn you away, implore you do not proceed in your enquiry. However, I am unfortunate to understand that the pain of losing any loved one will drive one to any extreme._

_I would only ask that you take the utmost caution, and on a personal note which I hope you do not find to be too forward, do not do anything rash. These Monsters are of the darkest kind and their intelligence incomparable._

_Again, Porpentina and I would like to express out utmost sadness at the loss of your children, and I do hope that one day your family will find peace again._

_Yours Faithfully,_

_Newt Scamander,_

The complex range of emotions I had on finishing this last correspondence, left me reading, re-reading and pacing across my kitchen floor in order to comprehend what Newt Scamander, famed Magizoologist and the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was implying.

Unfortunately, there was no record of what my father had thought of Newt's findings and I scoured through the rest of the papers in the cardboard box to see if Newt had written further letters.

Even the muggle incident, the one that appeared to be comparable to the Hogwarts Express was missing. It felt like I was wading through treacle, that I was missing something crucial.

But through all of my father's papers, I could find nothing which provided any conclusion from this new revelation. For the final result, what was reported to the press was something else entirely and there was nothing in this box that even pointed that this was as much the right answer as any other theory.

I didn't need to locate the article in question, I knew the words by heart. HOGWARTS EXPRESS – QUINTAPED, HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND CANIVOROUS BEAST, LOCATED AND DESTROYED. HORROR OVER AS FAMILIES CAN GRIEVE IN PEACE.

There had been outrage, unsurprisingly so, but the Isle of Drear were the Quintaped's live has been unplottable for centuries, and no retaliation was successful despite many attempts.  
But Newt's letter hadn't mentioned a Quintaped, not even hinted at this being the case. He had implied something much more sinister.

If only I'd stopped there. Despite my growing concerns and questions, I would have lived on in peace. The autopsy report had concluded that the deceased child's statement was inconclusive. The child must have been mistaken and my father must have concluded the same.

Perhaps if I hadn't been so obsessive, but I knew my father, and he would have known there was a chance I would stumbled across this one day.

I don't remember speaking the words but my wand lit up all the same, a soft blue light rippling across the stack of parchment. I hadn't expected it to work, but fathers untidy scrawl was suddenly littered across dozens of pages, his own opinion written against each and every article as I finally uncovered the truth.


End file.
